Apr 12, 2013 7:52 PM

Minor A Little League Baseball: Batters A-B-and C are due up to bat. Batter B bats first and walks. Batter A reaches 1st base on hit and Runner B advances to 3rd base. Before a pitch to Batter C, the defensive manager appeals a batting out of order. (B before A should have been A before B). What is would be the ruling? This is Continous lineup, I don't know if it makes a difference but.......I know I got this one wrong but was accepted by both teams. I called out Batter A out on first without moving Runner B back to first base. (Luckily B never scored) Should this have been Batter B out on first and runner on third base returns to first due to no advancement on play OR.....? I have gotten as many answers as the number of people I have asked. When A took one pitch the appeal was no longer valid since he became the proper batter, 6.07c. I do know that the lineup had to stay that messy order till the conclusion of game.

B was not the proper batter, and then he reched first base. A should have been the Proper Batter, but at this point, it was not appealed. (That's critical.)

When Batter A takes one pitch, then batter B's actions are moot. The Proper Batter is now C! (He's the guy who follows B whose actions were just made "Proper"!)

So now, A is an Improper batter.

After A's at bat, if the BOO is then properly appealed, you rule the Proper Batter Out (that's C!), you nullify A's at-bat (he goes back to the dugout), and then you nullify the play that resulted from A's at-bat. So you put B back on first.

The Proper batter is now D, and A misses his at-bat. [Continuous batting order does not matter.] And Batter C does NOT yet get credit for an at-bat for Little League minimumn play.

Hope that helps!

Mike CVUA

PS: The correct batting order MUST STILL BE FOLLOWED for the rest of the game!

And, if there was an un-appealed BOO sometime earlier in the game, it does NOT change the fact that subsequent BOOs are still appealable! It might be strategic for a defensive manager to ignore the first BOO (if they just retired a big hitter--take the normal out), and then spring this on them later when the same guy homers!

The batting order handed to the official scorer and the umpire is concrete! Can't be changed (except for illness or injury where a player cannot continue in the game).

Mike gave an in depth explaination, but I thought I'd add a general principle that may be easier to remember. Whenever there is a BOO that is properly appealed, the person who SHOULD have batted is the one that is out, not the guy who ACTUALLY batted.

Another note for MPR,in the OP, neither A nor C get credit for an at bat for MPR purposes.